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April 2008 Adar Ii & Nisan 5768

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April 2008 Adar Ii & Nisan 5768 APRIL 2008 ADAR II & NISAN 5768 PASSOVER EVENTS April 17 Last Chametz Dinner th April 17 , 2008 RSVP form, page18 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Congregation Beth Ami April 20 You are cordially invited to join Community Seder Sonoma County’s United Synagogue Youth as we RSVP form, page18 eat all the Chametz we can!! Italian Style… JFCS Seder Sacks Pasta, garlic bread, salad and a beverage for only $10!! page19 Children 12 and under only $5! Please consider This is a great event for all ages! becoming a Services – back page sponsor of this Come see the SCUSY slideshow, event with a $100 donation. Buy a couple RAFFLE tickets And get your very own In this issue... Rabbi’s Remarks ..................... page 3 Events & Announcements ...... page 4-5 April Calendar ......................... page 6 President’s Page ..................... page 7 Religious Practices ................. page 7 Mitzvah Moments .................. page 8 Sale of Hametz Form.............. page 8 Israel from The Left Coast ...... page 9 Literary Lines .......................... page 9 Religious School Report ......... page 10 Teen Time: Chaverim & USY .. page 11 Yahrzeits, Anniversaries, Birthdays ................................................ page12 Generous Contributions, ........ page 13 Jewish Community Events, ..... page 14 Advertisements, ....................... pages 15-17 Event RSVP Form .................... page 18 Seder Sacks............................. page 19 April Services ......................... back page Congregation Beth Ami Hours of Operation 4676 Mayette Avenue Beth Ami Main Office Santa Rosa, CA 95405 Monday - Friday: 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Telephone: (707) 360-3000 Library Fax: (707) 360-3003 Monday - Thursday: 3:45 - 6 p.m. Email: [email protected] Sunday: 9:30 - 12:15 p.m. Gift Shop Website: www.BethAmiSR.org Tuesday & Thursday: 3 - 5 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (when Religious School is in session) Personnel Officers and Board of Directors Rabbi George Schlesinger 360-3004 [email protected] 2007-2008 Melissa Bloom, Executive Director 360-3011 [email protected] President, Andy Fleming, [email protected] Treasurer, Henry Cohn, [email protected] Sharon Benson, USY Advisor 703-4244 VP for Administration, Al Batzdorff, [email protected] [email protected] VP for Youth and Education, Rick Concoff, Chaverim Director 823-3916 Dave Ballo, [email protected] [email protected] Library Committee Chair, Karen Gould, Newsletter 360-3000 [email protected] Susanne Batzdorff, [email protected] Elizabeth Jarlsberg, Adminstrative Support 360-3000 Religious Practices Committee Chair, [email protected] Patty Bernstein, [email protected] Yaakov Mossman, Bookkeeper 360-3012 Membership Committee Chairs, [email protected] Richard Kahn and Marcia Gladstone Gabor Por, Librarian 849-7682 Bonnie Boren [email protected] Richard Lazovick Susy Raful & Helen Margolese, Gift Shop 360-3022 Martha Mazur-Lane Jean Rudy, Nursery School Director 360-3030 Susan Miller [email protected] Mark Rosen Ruth Turner, Friedman Center Director 360-3021 [email protected] Birgit Sacher Elisabeth Van Nuys, Rel. School Director 360-3000 Rabbi George Schlesinger, Member Ex Officio [email protected] Melissa Bloom, Member Ex Officio Nicole Burke, Nursery School Liaison, Member Ex Officio Call the office at 360-3000 to leave a message for: ♦Rosalie Schweit, Gift Shop Invitations ♦Patty Bernstein, Torah/Haftarah Readings ♦Francie Rogovin, Kitchen Manager ♦Andrea Nett, Catering Manager Congregation Beth Ami Mission Statement Deadline for May Shofar: April 18 Through celebration, learning, prayer and community, All editorial submissions must be received in the Shofar box in the Beth Ami office or via email on or before the deadline. All we seek to enrich our lives, transform our hearts, submissions are subject to editing for clarity, brevity and help heal the world and sustain our Jewish heritage. content. Please submit articles as Microsoft Word documents via email attachments. Contact Karen Gould, Editor, at 360-3000 or at [email protected] with corrections, concerns or Congregation Beth Ami Vision questions. A vibrant, growing campus for Jewish living where the joys of Jewish values and rituals are made accessible The Shofar is a periodical issued monthly except for a combined June & July issue. It is published by Congregation Beth Ami, 4676 and relevant to the everyday lives of our members. Mayette Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95405. All members in good A flourishing, prospering congregation enjoying standing receive the periodical free. Yearly subscriptions are the wholehearted support, commitment and $25.00. involvement of all our members. This month’s issue is: Volume 13, Issue 8 Issue Date: April 1, 2008 April 2008 • CONGREGATION BETH AMI SHOFAR • page 2 RABBI’S REMARKS Rabbi George Schlesinger these theories for the moment, where does that leave me vis- à-vis Pesach? As most of you probably know by now, I’m rather deeply I believe that Pesach (and the Seder, of course) teach us involved with two interfaith dialog groups: SRIMA (Santa Rosa a great many truths about life, about human nature and about Interfaith Ministerial Association) where I serve as president, our purpose on this earth even if the entire story is nothing and our Jewish-Presbyterian dialog group with Rabbi Gittleman more than a fabrication. and our Presbyterian friends/colleagues. Both these groups It is a truth that humans strive for freedom. History has have been a source of strength, comfort, and spiritual suste- borne out this truth in many ways and in many eras. One has nance. In both groups, we take the time to study together only to look at the record of human behavior to know that because we feel that it is through study that we come to truly freedom has been a motivating factor throughout recorded know one another and begin to develop and understanding of history. Even most recently, the news out of Tibet and China each other. And one of the great benefits of this study has has been about the desire for freedom and self-determina- been that when I listen to the viewpoints of others, I simulta- tion. People are willing to die in the cause of freedom and neously hear similarities in our approach to our sacred texts unfortunately have, indeed, given their lives in that cause. as well as great differences. Through this realization, I’m It is a truth that as long as some people are oppressed, no better able to clarify my own approach and my own under- one is truly free. When others lack the freedoms we take for standing. granted, our ability to “proclaim liberty throughout the land” is Often these discussions come down to our approach to somehow diminished. Because (now more than ever) hu- the “truth” and “veracity” of the biblical texts. Do we accept manity is intertwined and communication is so immediate and the text as literally true or not? In these two interfaith groups, so easy, it is impossible to remain ignorant of troubles else- at least, we don’t have many fundamentalists claiming that where in the world and it is impossible to ignore the cries of the biblical text is the undisputed, undeniable, literal word of others. God. Instead, there is a general consensus that there are It is a truth that “in every generation we must see our- lessons and “truths” to be learned and that the text isn’t nec- selves as if we personally had gone free from Egypt.” By essarily the (capital “T”) Truth. imagining that we, ourselves, have been slaves and have gone For example, I don’t think anyone in these two groups free, our sensitivity to the plight of others is raised and height- believes the universe was actually created in six, twenty-four ened. And it is this truth that has been the source of our hour days…with then a seventh day as one of rest. Jewish involvement in the cause of freedom throughout the So why do I mention all this? As we approach Pesach, it centuries—both for ourselves and for others. is time once again to mention the “Truth” vs. the Truths of It is a truth that whether the miracles of the Haggadah Passover. happened or not, we Jews have seen the story of the Exodus The minimalist archaeologists tell us that there is not one as evidence of God’s involvement in our lives and God’s de- shred of evidence that the Hebrews were either slaves in Egypt sire for freedom throughout the world. We see this story as OR that there was an Exodus. There are no Egyptian sourc- evidence of God’s protection of the Jewish people and God’s es validating the Torah’s claims and there have been no dis- fulfillment of the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac, and coveries in the Sinai wilderness to bolster a claim of Hebrews Jacob. wandering in the desert for 40 years. And (in my mind at It is a truth that when we read/sing the Dayenu, we know least) to further complicate matters, both while in Egypt last that while according to tradition, even though Jewish destiny January and in my reading before the trip, I learned that most isn’t fulfilled until the last stanza (bringing us to Israel and Egyptologists believe that the great building projects of Egypt— establishing the ancient Temple as the center of Jewish wor- from the pyramids to the great temples and storehouse cit- ship), we should be thankful for every measure of goodness ies—were built by free labor and not by slaves. Most ancient and bounty that we experience in the world, that a thankful Egyptians were farmers and during the five or six months that and appreciative heart is at the core of a contented and happy the Nile overflowed its banks and covered everything with silt individual. It is a truth that being content with one’s lot in life and mud, there was nothing for these farmers to do and so is the key to great spiritual riches and wealth.
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